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Day: 5 March 2018

Photo: Sam Cooper @The Mancunion

City take big step to Premier League title with Chelsea victory

Written by Sam Cooper on . Posted in Sport.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City took another considerable step towards the Premier League title after defeating Chelsea 1-0 at the Etihad Stadium. A solitary goal from Bernardo Silva in the second half was enough to win the game for City as they move 18 points clear at the top of the table.

Straight from kick-off the game settled into its natural rhythm as City dominated possession in the opening stages. The rigid back five of Chelsea looked to prevent Kevin De Bruyne and David Silva from finding any space near the area and the Chelsea defence marshalled City well.

Chelsea had opted to play a front three of Pedro, Willian and Eden Hazard with the Belgian operating in the false nine position. It was clear from the onset that Conte was looking to play the same tactics that earned him a 1-1 draw against Barcelona in the Champions League. Sit deep and look to hit rapidly on the break.

This plan largely did not come off for the visitors though as City did well to suffocate the London side in their own half. When they did break, Chelsea gave away the ball to easily with Pedro being particularly guilty of this.

City continued to look for the opening goal without creating any real chances. If they were to score, it looked like it would come down the left flank operated by Leroy Sané as the pace of the German allowed him to get in behind on frequent occasions. A last ditch block on the line denied Sané the opening goal.

The teams went in level at the break with City dominating possession and looking the more likely to score.

The domination was quickly turned into goals as within one minute of the game restarting, City were ahead. In the same way, a Christensen mistake had cost City in their Barcelona tie, he cost them here as failed to deal with a long pass. Instead of knocking it clear, he played it into the path of Sergio Agüero who rolled the ball into the path of the incoming David Silva. David crossed to his namesake Bernardo who beat Marcos Alonso to the the cross and turned the ball past a diving Thibaut Courtois. It was 1-0 to the hosts and it was deserved considering the balance of the play.

Despite being a goal behind, Chelsea continued to sit deep and their tactic of launching long to the diminutive Hazard, Willian and Pedro was failing. The tactical choice of playing Hazard in the false nine position was not working as it limited his time on the ball and meant he was easy to defend against for the City back line.

With the goal advantage, City slowed the pace of the game right down to a walking pace. Knocking the ball about between their back line, the home side were in no rush to push forward and could comfortably maintain possession.

With the game drawing to a close, Conte finally looked to make changes. Introducing a natural number nine such as Olivier Giroud did look to make a noticeable difference and made it all the more puzzling why he was benched. Chelsea looked to mount a final attack with Álvaro Morata also now on the pitch but it was too little, too late as the final whistle blew at 1-0.

An ecstatic Guardiola stepped out into the Manchester rain to congratulate his players and had the look of a man bearing down on the title.

Photo: Question

Question reveal The Blackout Club

Written by Jeremy Bijl on . Posted in Games.

Indie developers Question have outlined their intention for a new game titled The Blackout Club,  described as a “a cooperative horror paranormal mystery” game.

Developers Question, whose staff credentials include experience on Bioshock, Dishonoured, Prey and Thief, say of the game’s premise: “Set in a small town with a monstrous secret, The Blackout Club follows a group of teens who band together after learning they’ve all been temporarily losing consciousness – waking up in strange places with no memory of what they have done.

Recently, one of their closest friends vanished entirely. When none of their parents, teachers, or even the police are willing to believe them, the friends launch an investigation. Together they will discover a maze of tunnels – a hostile underworld filled with hypnotic music and populated by a clandestine group of adults — all beneath their seemingly idyllic suburbs.”

photo:Question

Possibly drawing on the recent popularity of coming-of-age via horror releases such as IT and Stranger Things, The Blackout Club looks to add to an already strong roster of upcoming indie games, such as The Occupation and We Happy Few. 

Question have underlined the importance of co-op in The Blackout Club. According to Question co-founder Jordan Thomas, “Our story is about vulnerable heroes — for whom co-op gameplay is a matter of survival — who unite to save their friends […] Every member of the group will play a distinct role and utilise devices like drones or deployable traps to outwit their foes and gather evidence of their crimes.”

photo:Question

It also looks set to feature RPG elements, as well as sneaking mechanics, with Question saying “Surviving the dangers of night will require intelligence, improvisation, and skill. Sleepwalking adults that could be their neighbours or relatives now seek to drag them underground. Players must create and coordinate diversions and use other tactics to break the enemy’s vice-like grip. The last player left standing must avoid attracting the attention of an even more dangerous entity – one that pursues its prey relentlessly – one that can’t be seen with open eyes…”

“Player characters will be customisable with a variety of powers and equipment loadouts. Every member of the group will play a distinct role and utilise devices like drones or deployable traps to outwit their foes and gather evidence of their crimes. When the mission is complete, players will head back to the hideout, where they can level up and acquire new abilities for use on future outings.”

The first teaser trailer is as enigmatic as one might expect. Showing stylised but clean, polished aesthetics, the trailer depicts a sinister-looking group strumming sonorous guitar-like strings that resonate through the network of tunnels under the town. Following this, a teenager wakes abruptly in their bed, and there follows some indistinct cut-aways of chasing and grappling, followed by a door emblazoned with a symbol opening to engulf the screen in red and reveal the game’s title.

The Blackout Club has been touted for a Q1 2019 release.

Image: pomdu @ Commons Wikimedia

Universities threaten to cut pay of striking staff

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Universities are threatening to withhold the pay of staff who have taken industrial action following ongoing pension disputes between University and College Union (UCU) and Universities UK.

That’s the claim of UCU, who say that some universities have told staff that they will withhold their entire pay for undertaking ‘Action Short of a Strike’ (ASOS) and have warned that “overly punitive measures would annoy members and do nothing to help progress talks” which begin on Monday the 5th of March.

On Thursday the 1st of March, University staff at 61 institutions returned to work to undertake ASOS, which consists of working to contract, not covering for absent colleagues, not rescheduling lectures or classes cancelled due to strike action and not undertaking any voluntary activities.

UCU claim that if University of Sheffield staff have not rescheduled missed lectures within two days, it will deduct 25 percent of their salary and after five days it will withhold 100 percent of salary.

The University of Sheffield denied that this was their position but said that “the University reserves the right to make proportionate deductions for partial performance where this is in breach of a contract”.

UCU also claim that the University of St Andrews has said it will deduct 100 percent of salary for any form of action short of a strike, and also that the University of Kent will withhold 50 percent of pay for ASOS, but reserves the right to withhold 100 percent and any work staff then undertake would be voluntary.

A spokesperson for the University of St Andrews said: “no pay is being deducted from staff who are carrying out all their normal contractual duties and any suggestion to the contrary is utterly false.”

We contacted the University of Kent for comment. They sent us a link to their policy page, where UCU attained their information, and said, “we regularly review our position and will communicate any changes as and when relevant.”

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “Universities that wish to exploit the law and punish their staff as much as possible are storing up problems for the future and risk prolonging the dispute.

“Action short of a strike highlights just how much universities rely on the goodwill of their staff who go the extra mile. Universities will need that goodwill when this dispute is all over, so it seems foolish to find ways now to maximise the punishment of their staff.

“It is encouraging that some universities recognise we are at a crucial stage in this dispute and are adopting a more conciliatory tone. We would urge institutions like Kent, Sheffield and St Andrews to do the same or risk being seen as the pariahs of the sector.”

A University of Manchester spokesperson said: “A deduction of pay will be made for all employees who take any strike action. The University is entitled to withhold pay for staff who take strike action and it has been decided to deduct pay at 1/365th of annual salary for each day of strike action taken.

“The University will not benefit from strike pay deducted from staff and will use it to the benefit of students.

“Provided that the ASOS carried out by individuals does not impact upon the “proper discharge of their duties” then this should not result in partial performance of duties and no deductions of pay will be made. However, this is without prejudice to the University’s right to withhold full pay in the future for partial performance, should it be determined that there is an impact upon the proper discharge of duties.

“Should that be the case, then it has been decided to deduct 20 per cent of pay at 1/365th of salary. The University reserves the right to review the basis for making any deductions in respect of ASOS which may include refusing to accept partial performance and making deductions from salary of up to 100 per cent and will write to all staff to confirm the basis for any future calculations should these be changed.”

Strikes are scheduled to commence on Monday the 5th of March for four days, concluding with a five-day walkout from Monday the 12th of March to the Friday 16th of March.

Image: Nicole Wootton-Cane

Storm Emma disrupts University teaching

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Teaching at the University of Manchester was disrupted as the ‘the Beast from the East’ and ‘Storm Emma’ battered Manchester as it swept across the UK.

Train, bus, and Metrolink services in and around Greater Manchester were heavily affected by the heavy snow showers, strong winds, and icy conditions, meaning some teaching staff were forced to cancel seminars and lectures due to being unable to commute to the University.

It is unknown exactly how many lecturers and classes were cancelled, as decisions ultimately lay with individual teaching staff and departments, but courses such as Architecture, Nursing, and Theological Studies were affected.

Robyn Carty, a second-year University of Manchester Children’s Nursing student who had University classes on Thursday the 1st of March and Friday the 2nd of March, said: “Cancelling classes was a good decision because it meant that attendance won’t be affected. This is important on our course because it’s government funded so you’re expected to have 100 per cent attendance.

“Cancelling classes in advance meant people didn’t have the pressure of feeling like they have to come in when it might not be safe or they might get stranded. It was especially beneficial for people that live further away from University like me, or students who have to worry about childcare if their kids’ schools have closed.”

Jack Dickie, a first-year University of Manchester Architecture student who also had teaching cancelled, suggested that students who commuted from home weren’t given enough notice about the cancellations.

Jack said: “I wasn’t too bothered if classes were cancelled or not. The email was sent at 7:16 am and the lecture was at 9 am.

“Plenty of time for students living away yet those that commute, we left enough time due to the weather and found out when we were on our way.”

According to recently published research by the Sutton Trust, 23 percent of UK University students commute from home.

Military personnel were drafted in to rescue stranded lorries and cars on the M62 motorway, trains were cancelled from Manchester Oxford Road and Manchester Piccadilly, and bus services were cancelled due to the wintry conditions.

On Friday the 2nd of March, weather forecasts indicated that ‘Storm Emma’ could bring up to 50 cm of additional snow to parts of the UK and a red weather warning for snow was in force for south-west England and South Wales until the early hours of the day.

The University of Manchester was contacted for comment.

Image: Policy Exchange @ Flickr

Refund students for lost teaching, says Universities Minister

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

Students should receive compensation for lost teaching as a result of the ongoing strikes by university staff due to pension disputes.

That’s the view of Universities Minister, Sam Gyimah, who told universities at the launch of the new higher education regulator that this was the “age of the student” and that students deserved better value for money.

Tens of thousands of students nationwide have signed petitions demanding refunds for loss of teaching after the University College and Union backed a strike, which started on the 22nd of February and could last several weeks.

Mr Gyimah said: “students should not lose a day of the education they are paying for and I expect young people to get compensation for the lost study time, as some universities like Kings College London have already started looking in to.

“Universities should also look to provide additional lectures where they are missed due to strike action, which is so important at this time in the academic year.”

Melis Royer, a University of Manchester student who started a petition signed by almost 7,000 people addressed to the University of Manchester demanding compensation, said: “I don’t think it’s fair that we are treated like consumers in every other way except when it comes down to us using our consumer voices. Universities and more specifically government can’t have it both way.

“You can’t make students pay an extortionate amount of money, treat them like consumers, treat staff poorly and run universities like a service and not expect a backlash. I think what we’re seeing around the UK from students like myself is a positive step. This is the age of the students.”

The University of Manchester Vice-Chancellor, Nancy Rothwell, released a video updating students on how the ongoing industrial action might affect students and what the University was doing to minimise disruption.

Hana Jafar, another University of Manchester student who authored an open letter to the University signed by several hundreds students also demanding compensation for lost teaching, commented: “senior management needs to know that it is not enough to release a video with a statement expressing that they share our concerns. We want to see tangible action, and we want transparency in this process.

“Turning a deaf ear to lecturers’ concerns is hostile, and students will not stand by and watch this injustice. Mitigating the damage is not limited to making sure students get the material and hours they have paid for. An institution with staff resorting to strikes is doing something very wrong and has let it get out of hand.”

A University spokesperson said: “since the University charges a composite fee for our courses we cannot reimburse individual students for specific elements of missed teaching and assessment.

“A ‘composite fee’ covers more than just the face-to face-tuition a student receives and includes: registration, examination fees, access to IT, use of the library and student support services such advice and guidance services, and the careers service).”

On Monday the 5th of March, University College and Union and Universities UK (UUK) will begin further talks, which will be mediated by the conciliation service Acas.

Strike action will commence on Monday the 5th of March for four days and will then conclude with a five-day walkout from Monday the 12th of March to Friday the 16th of March.

UCU general secretary Sally Hunt said: “we are pleased the employers have agreed to more talks. We have listened not just to our members, but also to the many university leaders who have contributed ideas.

“At the core of our proposals is for universities to accept a small amount of increased risk, but only at a level a majority have recently said they are comfortable with. Doing this would enable us to provide a decent, guaranteed pension at a more modest cost with smaller contribution increases.”

The University of Manchester said that “the University fully understands the concerns of students and staff and is pleased that UCU and UUK will shortly be meeting for further talks.”

Russell Group universities that were established before 1992 currently pay into what is known as a ‘defined benefit scheme’ pension that is managed by the Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS), although decisions made about it are made by Universities UK (UUK).

USS take a percentage out of employees’ pay, which is then matched or more by the employer. This is invested in a pension fund which they can then withdraw at the point of retirement.

UUK announced in November 2017 that they now want to change this to a ‘defined contribution scheme’ (that will still be managed by USS) in order to counteract the apparent pension deficit.

This would mean that employee and employer contributions will be invested in the stock market, with the aim of growing it over the years before retirement. Each employee in the scheme then receives a share of the pot when they leave the employer.

This can pose a substantial risk on the employee, as it is not guaranteed that these investments will be fruitful. Their resulting pension may in fact be less than their initial contribution.

Members of the UCU at 61 Universities voted to take strike action on Monday the 22nd of January after talks with Universities UK (UUK) over the future of staff pensions ended without an agreement, amidst fear that new pension proposals would result in an average lecturer losing £200,000 in retirement.

Photo: David Dixon @Geograph

Council to take action over affordable housing crisis

Written by George Walker on . Posted in News.

A complete absence of affordable housing in Manchester City Centre has brought forth questions about cost of living and gentrification in Manchester.

A report by Greater Manchester Housing Action revealed that out of 15,000 recently built homes in the city centre, not one can be classed as ‘affordable’.

The report showed specifically how people would need to be earning up to and beyond £10,000 more than the average salary in Manchester in order to reliably pay mortgage repayments on the new flats.

The new report was commissioned by Greater Manchester Housing Action from Dr Jonathan Silver, an academic at Sheffield university. He found that roughly half of the new Manchester homes had been funded by international wealth, from countries such as Singapore, Germany, China, and the Middle East, some of which operate through off-shore vehicles with limited financial transparency.

The overall effects of such a model are clear, he believes — the apartments are primarily assets for investors, not homes.

On Tuesday, the council released plans for “Innovative housing schemes” which “will help bring affordable homes to Manchester people”.

In a press release on the 1st of March, Councillor Bernard Priest, Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council, said: “we know that affordable housing is a real concern for Mancunians and a subject of considerable debate and some speculation. We want to reassure people that affordable housing is a very high priority for us at the Council…Last week [we broke ground on 40 new council homes in the city and we have many more in the pipeline.”

“We are overseeing the delivery of thousands of new decent affordable homes and will continue to make the best use of our resources to maximise this, as well as continuing to maximise section 106 planning contributions which help pay for lots of public infrastructure works as well as affordable housing.

“Manchester is a sought-after place to live and for the city to continue to thrive it’s essential that we meet the demand for all types of housing.”

Two new housing schemes are to be introduced to make affordable housing for first time buyers and lower income households. A Housing Affordability Fund (HAF) is also to be established, which would be used to subsidise affordable housing projects.

Manchester’s affordable housing problem was first revealed in a report from Shelter last year, which said Manchester had one of the worst outcomes in the country for affordable housing. Whenever developers used ‘viability’ assessments in the years 2015 and 2016, it resulted in no affordable housing being built.

Shelter’s chief executive Polly estimated at the time that Manchester had lost nearly 500 potential affordable homes, and stated that: “What this research reveals is the scale at which developers are able to use legal loopholes to protect their profits and dramatically reduce the numbers of affordable homes available for people.”

In theory, the council’s policy dictates that all Manchester’s new housing developments of more than 50 units are obliged to contain at least 20 affordable units; otherwise the financial developer must make a contribution. However, since Manchester and Salford’s post-crash development took off in earnest a few years ago, their councils have been allowed to ignore the housing requirements.

Developers initially claimed profits were low, thus ruling affordable housing and contributions for cheaper homes out of their budget. Only planning officers in the town hall could disprove these claims since financial ‘viability’ assessments are kept private from most councillors.

Planning reports have since simply repeatedly claimed that “The developer has indicated that to provide any affordable housing would make the project unviable.”

However, housing is not the end of the problem, it is part of a trend in Manchester. For example, it was recently revealed the alternative clothing shop Rockers in the Northern Quarter may be forced to close due to increasing rents and the fact that the shop is due to be halved due to a new development project.

Owner Katherine Parsons said: “Our lease ran out in November and they haven’t renewed it. We’re on a monthly contract, so we should be here until April. They said it could be summer when the planning application is passed and they would look to rehouse us.

But when I looked at the plans my shop would only be half the size after the changes….Everyone is really upset.”

Richard Ward, consultant for Millerbrook Properties, said “Rents are going up significantly in the Northern Quarter, it’s changing rapidly with a lot of new money coming in” but that “we want to keep the independents in the Northern Quarter — that’s what it’s all about”.

The force of new money and investment in Manchester is a concern for independent retailers in the Northern Quarter and Manchester at large.

Image: Rept0n1x @ Commons Wikimedia

University performs well in world subject rankings

Written by Cameron Broome on . Posted in News.

The University of Manchester has been placed in the global top 100 for each of the five broad subject areas measured in the independent 2018 QS World University Rankings by Subject.

These subjects measured were Arts and Humanities, Engineering and Technology, Life Sciences and Medicine, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences and Management.

Measured alongside 1,129 universities around the world, the University of Manchester was in the UK top ten for each of these and was also ranked in the top 100 for 37 individual subjects.

A University spokesperson said: “We are pleased that the University has again been placed highly in all five subject groups in this ranking and that we have also had some significant successes in individual subject areas. This independent ranking and others like it demonstrate that in teaching and research Manchester is one of the world’s elite institutions.”

The University ranked 4th in the UK and 53rd in the world for Engineering and Technology, 10th in the UK and 40th in the World for Arts and Humanities, 8th in the UK and 35rd in the world for Life Sciences and Medicine, 5th in the UK and 40th in the world for Natural Sciences and 7th in the UK and 39th in the world for Social Sciences and Management.

To compile the results, the QS team analysed over 22 million papers, producing close to 200 million citations. 1,130 institutions have been ranked across 48 subjects in five subject areas, creating 14,000 published entries.

The Subject rankings complement the QS World University rankings which were published last year and ranked the University of Manchester 34th in the world.

Photo: Public Domain Pictures

Over 200 million NHS ‘medication errors’ per year says report

Written by Jordan Ross on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

The collaborative report, presented last week at the World Patient Safety Science and Technology Summit, focused on how common medication errors are and how they may affect patients’ health and increase the financial burden on the NHS.

It used economic modelling to estimate that approximately 237 million medication errors occur in England each year, with around 66 million of these leading to harm. These may contribute to between 1,700-22,000 deaths from avoidable adverse drug reactions and cost the NHS £95 million per year.

A medication error is a “preventable event that may lead to inappropriate medication use, increase costs and cause minor or severe harm including death.” These errors may arise when prescribing, dispensing, administering or monitoring drugs.

Professor Mark Sculpher, University of York, said: “Although these error rates may look high, there is no evidence suggesting they differ markedly from those in other high-income countries.

“Almost three in four errors would never harm patients and some may be picked up before they reach the patients, but more research is needed to understand just how many that is.”

While the study recognises that most errors do not lead to any harm, it also concedes little is known about how the remaining 27 per cent leads to injury or illness in patients and increases costs.

Fiona Campbell, a researcher on the report from the University of Sheffield, explains, “Measuring harm to patients from medication errors is difficult for several reasons, one being that harm can sometimes occur when medicines are used correctly, but now that we have more understanding of the number of errors that occur we have an opportunity to do more to improve NHS systems.”

As one of the possible consequence of medication errors is adverse drug reactions, this research further looked into their effect on the NHS. It drew upon 36 studies on the matter, ranging from primary healthcare settings, such as a GP practice, to secondary settings, like emergency care.

The data reveals that most harmful errors take place in primary settings and that the cost of such medication errors depends on the level of complication. Costs of such errors can go from £60 per error for a basic problem to up to £6 million for a major complication.

University of Manchester researcher on the report, Professor Rachel Elliott,  argues: “the NHS is a world-leader in this area of research, and this is why we have a good idea about error rates. There is still a lot to do in finding cost-effective ways to prevent medication errors.

What this report is showing us is that we need better linking of information across the NHS to help find more ways of preventing medication errors.”

The University of Manchester's Students' Union has become a living wage accredited employer. Photo: Students' union

Students fight for Living Wage at University of Manchester

Written by Tilly Gambarotto on . Posted in News.

After successfully campaigning to encourage the University of Manchester Students’ Union to become an accredited Living Wage Employer, students are now putting pressure on the university to follow suit. Accreditation by the Living Wage Foundation (LWF) would guarantee the Living Wage for all those directly or indirectly employed by the university, including subcontracted hospitality and cleaning staff.

Not to be confused with the ‘national minimum wage’ which has been set at £7.50 as a minimum legal requirement since April 2017, calculations to establish the Living Wage take into account accommodation, travel, healthy food, and small miscellaneous expenses. It is a voluntary minimum payment by participating employers, currently set at £8.75 outside of London and £10.20 inside the capital. The wage is designed to allow recipients a “basic but acceptable standard of living”, according to the LWF website.

The student campaign group have set up a Facebook page and penned an open letter to the university: “Research from [The University of Manchester] repeatedly praises the Living Wage’s benefits both in social and economic terms.  It cannot be right that the university explicitly claims to support the local community whilst also refusing to ensure all workers are paid enough to live on.” Over 40 lecturers and academic staff have signed the letter in support of the campaign.

The students have teamed up with Greater Manchester Citizens, a community pressure group and local branch of Citizens UK which launched the ‘National Living Wage Campaign’ in 2001 and coordinates the LWF.  Since then the organisation has successfully brought over 150,000 people out of working poverty.

Citizens UK’s website claims that 93 per cent of accredited business have benefited from paying the Living Wage, and have reported a range of improvements including “lower staff turnover, higher team morale and higher productivity”. Over 20 other universities including Oxford and Cardiff, esteemed employers such as KPMG, ITV, Burberry and Oxfam, as well as nearly 4,000 other businesses who “believe their staff deserve a fair day’s pay for a hard day’s work” are accredited by the LWF.

“Across the UK one in five working people earns less than the Living Wage; there is still an awful lot to do” the website warns.

When asked to comment, a University of Manchester spokesperson said: “salaries for University staff have consistently met with the Living Wage Foundation’s (LWF) levels in previous years – we do not feel there is a need to become accredited, as we review our pay rates and raise them in line with the LWF rate.”

Chair of the Living Wage campaign at the university Will Ranger, however, says that accreditation is still necessary: “The purpose of accreditation is to ensure that the people on the lowest pay have their incomes rise with inflation so that they continue to be paid enough to live on.”

“It stems from the simple principle”, he argues, “that if you work a full-time job, it is insanity that you should still be unable to live on your income. Manchester University claims to be a ‘socially responsible’ institution but doesn’t guarantee its staff enough to live on”.

Will has found that students, not unfamiliar with the experience of being paid poor wages for tough work, have been sympathetic to the cause and encourages others to join the campaign on Facebook to get involved.

The campaign raises its intensity in the wake of a tumultuous month for the University of Manchester as lecturers embark on a wave of strikes in their dispute with Universities UK (UUK) over changes to their pension scheme.

Photo: Geoff Dexter @ Flickr

Universities to be challenged over spiralling salaries

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News.

Universities will be forced to be more transparent under new proposals to establish an Office for Students (OfS) in April.

The office, which is set to replace the Higher Education Funding Council for England, will see the widely enjoyed autonomy that has governed the relationship between universities and ministers for decades coming under increasing scrutiny, in a bid to tackle spiralling salaries and an unprecedented rise of graduates leaving university with first-class degrees.

This follows after a Channel 4 Dispatches investigation revealed the extravagant expense accounts of some British university vice-chancellors, in which the heads of academic institutions were found to be enjoying a lavish lifestyle full of 5-star luxuries such as fine-dining and first-class air travel.

In total, it was revealed that vice-chancellors racked up an extensive bill of £8 million in expenses over a two-year period.

200 Freedom of Information requests were sent by the Dispatches team to universities in regards to their expenses claims. One university, the University of Surrey, even paid £1,600 for ‘Oscar,’ the Vice-Chancellor’s dog, to be relocated from Australia.

Whilst the University of Manchester failed to respond to the initial investigation, when contacted for comment, a university spokesperson told The Mancunion that: “In the Channel 4 programme it was noted that our university did not respond to a Freedom of Information request for expense details.

We have investigated this in detail, and have found that the information was provided by the President’s Office but due to a procedural error elsewhere in the university, the information was not provided to the journalist involved.

“The information requested has now been provided to the journalist and reveals that the expense claims and credit card payments for costs while on university business for the President amounted to £ 3,899.61 for the period 1 August 2015 to 31 July 2017.”

Controversially, the Dispatches investigation has added fuel to a growing consensus of anger around the excessive pay brackets of some British university chiefs, with Sally Hunt, leader of the University and College Union stating that “if you’re a leader, you have to be open and clear about what’s going on, and hiding in a toilet, going out for a cup of tea while your mate decides your salary — sorry, that doesn’t make sense to me.”

The investigation comes at a time when 61 universities are undergoing extensive strike action as a result of proposals that could see the average lecturer lose a total sum of £200,000 from their pension pay packet.

Last week, Theresa May branded the UK university system one of “the most expensive systems of university tuition in the world.”

Under the proposed OfS, all university governing boards will be expected to appoint students in order to challenge the PM’s accusation that the “levels of fees charged do not relate to the cost or quality of the course.”

Once the OfS is established, one of the key regulator’s assignments will be tackling the spiralling salaries of vice-chancellors. As of present, more than 60 university chiefs earn upwards of £300,000 a year.

However, under proposed measures, universities will be forced to declare the number of staff on salaries exceeding the annual sum of £100,000. For those raking in over £150,000 a year, full details will have to be provided in order to paint a ratio of the vice-chancellor’s pay to the average salary at the university.

If the university fails to accord with these measures, fines or de-registration will ensue.

The OfS will also aim to gain a greater insight into academic matters, such as the increasing number of students leaving university with first-class degrees. Last year, more than a quarter of students graduated with first-class honours.

However, with extended powers, the OfS will be able to investigate those universities who see a continuous rise in those who ascertain first-class honours degrees without good justification.

Talking to the BBC, Sir Michael Barber, chairman of the OfS stated that: “We do have powers and we won’t flinch from using them if we need to, but we’d much rather if universities ran this regulator themselves rather than [us] having to intervene. But nobody should be under any illusions; if we need to, we will.”

Image: Students' Union

Students’ Union Exec elections open for 2018/19

Written by Nicole Wootton-Cane on . Posted in News.

From Thursday the 1st of March at 12pm, students will be able to vote in the Students’ Union Executive Officer elections.

Ballots will remain open until Thursday the 8th of March at 5pm.

The roles up for election are: General Secretary; Education Officer; Campaigns, Community, and Citizenship Officer; Liberation and Access Officer; Welfare Officer; Women’s Officer; International Student Officer; and Activities and Development Officer.

A few changes have been made from previous elections, including the scrapping of the Diversity officer in favour of the International Student and Liberation and Access officers. Also, the roles of Community and Campaign officers have been merged.

Every day between the 1st and 8th of March, the Students’ Union will be giving away a prize to a random student who has voted in the Exec Elections including a £60 Deliveroo voucher, a limo ride to a lecture and bus pass worth £150.

Students can vote at ballot boxes around campus or online via the Students’ Union website.

To find out more about each of the candidates and read their manifesto, students can visit the Students’ Union website.

The results of the election will be announced on the the 8th of March.

Photo: Hannah Brierley. Reclaim the Night march

Reclaim the night: as told by those who marched

Written by Liv Clarke on . Posted in Features.

There isn’t a lot that can stop the constant stream of traffic down the Curry Mile, but it always disappears for Reclaim the Night, which took place this year on February 22nd. The annual event is an opportunity to fight back against sexual assault on the streets of Manchester, and every year other aspects concerning Women’s Rights get thrown into the mix too, reflecting that this is not a localised issue but a worldwide problem.

Last year, President Trump’s attitude towards women was reflected on a lot of placards and this year the focus was on the #metoo and Time’s Up campaigns. Just over a month ago, a Time’s Up rally was held in London, a year after the initial Women’s March.

Often it can feel like there is a lot of distance between these large-scale movements about gender equality and the average person. The fact that today more and more people are talking about discrimination against women, sexual assault, and rape culture is positive; these discussions can lead to actions which get results.

When an actress talks up about the problems she’s had to encounter because of her gender it keeps the subject in the media and increases awareness; people should not and cannot ignore these issues any longer.

But it is difficult to associate yourself with someone who lives a very different life; how are these wealthy, famous actresses who don their Times Up badges going to help change the lives of students in a gritty city in the north of England?

This is why an event like Reclaim the Night is so important as it tackles the issue at a grassroots level. It’s a chance to take back the streets where we no longer want to feel unsafe and afraid.

Photo: Hannah Brierley
Photo: Hannah Brierley

With Reclaim the Night, ordinary students come together and make their voices heard. Placards are made with old cereal boxes and cardboard packaging; one side will have ‘Girls just want fundamental rights’ painted on it, the other will be covered in the remnants of Amazon prime tape and an address of a resident of Owen’s Park.

These small details are a reminder that every person who takes part in Reclaim the Night is just an everyday student, who in fact makes up a significant proportion of the population of Manchester.

The event also celebrates different voices all united with the common goal of making the streets safe. The march isn’t just a line of “women”; there are blocks dedicated to Muslims, the LGBTQ community, and this year a ‘Pro-choice’ block was added as a response to anti-abortion protests in Fallowfield.

People attend the event for different reasons, some have been victims of discrimination and assault — as the #metoo movement illustrated, this is a scarily common occurrence even today. Others are there purely because they don’t feel safe walking home at night alone.

For Rosa Gane, a final year student who’s attended the event each year and has helped to organise it in previous years, “Reclaim the Night is an empowering event which helps you feel part of a community of people who will support you if or when anything terrible happens”.

Anybody who’s taken part in the march will know the sense of comradeship you get from walking out from Owen’s Park and chanting in unison. “I think the march helps to attract the attention of Greater Manchester Police,” says Rosa, “and the University to get on their radar about what matters to students in the area.”

Photo: Hannah Brierley
Photo: Hannah Brierley

Indeed, Reclaim the Night is a very public way of highlighting the problem of sexual assault; a crowd of people marching for what they believe is something you can’t easily ignore.

For me, Reclaim the Night is an inspiring event because the passion people have for the cause is evident everywhere. The march is against something very negative, but the event itself is incredibly positive. Students come together at the banner making sessions, volunteers decorate the Students’ Union for the after party and there’s always confused laughter when the chants get mixed up.

It’s been 100 years since some women in the UK gained the right to vote, but women are still uniting and reclaiming the night.

Photo: Pixabay @ Pexels.com

Science news around the world this week

Written by Sophie Boyd on . Posted in News, Science & Tech.

Arctic seed vault set to reach one million mark

The stronghold of the world’s most precious seeds, held in Svalbard, Norway, is set to have a delivery of 70,000 seeds on the 10th anniversary of the Global Seed Vault next week.

The vault has varieties of important food crops that are regarded as essential for safeguarding the world’s food supplies amid fears of drought and climate change. The store acts as a back-up for other seed banks around the world.

The upcoming delivery contains unique varieties of rice, wheat and maize. It has been estimated that there will eventually be 2.2 million unique varieties of crops deposited in this Arctic vault.

Researchers develop online game to educate public against fake news

Researchers from Cambridge have developed an online game, ‘Bad News,’ where players have to compete to become the “disinformation and fake news tycoon.”

This has been created to educate the public about fake news and to allow people to spot unreliable claims. The aim of the game is to maximise Twitter followers by using fake news whilst attempting to retain credibility.

At each stage, players are asked if they are happy with their actions or if they feel shame. Data from the game will be gathered over the next six months to understand how well players spot the tactics used.

King penguins face trouble due to climate change

A team of French scientists have found that fragmented populations of king penguins in the Southern Oceans are likely to become increasingly unstable.

The fragmentation in their population was caused by movement away from usual nesting sites due to a lack of food. As the climate warms further, foraging sites will eventually be too far away for the penguins to feed their chicks.

King penguins can forage up to 700 km before exposing their chicks to starvation. It has been estimated that almost 70 per cent, around 1.1 million pairs, of king penguins will have to relocate before the end of the century as a result of climate change. If they can’t relocate, their numbers will reduce drastically.

Photo: Alicia Love

Disadvantaged students three times more likely to live at home

Written by Mancunion on . Posted in News, Opinion.

Disadvantaged students are three times more likely to be in the 23 per cent of University students who are estimated to live at home compared to their wealthier peers, according to a new report.

The Sutton Trust has investigated mobility for students across the UK, providing insight into the reality for thousands of students across the country who commute to university campuses.

While the concept of student living in halls is considered to be a quintessential aspect of university life to some, the reality of the Trust’s findings provide a considerably-different picture, finding that over a fifth (23 per cent) of students aged 21 or under live at home, with that figure 12 per cent higher for those in Scotland.

Predictably, economic concerns appear to be the primary motivation behind the decision to live at home while studying, with over half of UK students enrolled at universities less than 55 miles from their homes.

This appears to confirm the worrying possibility of a “postcode lottery” with regards to access to Higher Education, with young people restricted in their choices of institution based on their home address.

Students in the South of England were found to be much more likely to move considerable distance than fellow students in Northern areas, with the North East of England identified as the peak region for students living at home.

Findings revealed that students from recognisably-disadvantaged backgrounds were three times as likely to be forced into commuting to university, with a difference relating to educational backgrounds was also noted, with state school students found to be increasingly likely to attend a university within close proximity to home.

The report highlighted a link between student mobility and ethnic factors, with British Pakistani and Bangladeshi students reported to be over six times as likely to live at home than their White counterparts.

Sutton Trust Chairman Peter Lampl was insistent upon the effect of increased tuition fees on a such a phenomenon, noting that the tendency of disadvantaged students to live at home, “has become more pronounced since the introduction of tuition fees of £9,000 per year in 2012”, meaning that “for students living at home access to the most selective universities is limited”.

Lampl led the list of recommendations offered by the report, by suggesting that selective institutions should reserve a select number of places for students from local low and moderate-income backgrounds — although some have questioned how this will aid the mobility of disadvantaged students to travel to institutions nationwide.

The Trust also suggested the revision of university timetables to accommodate students travelling to lectures from home, and further argued for increased awareness of the restrictions on certain students to study away from home, due to cultural reasons.

Furthermore, the Review of Post-18 Education has been advised to consider the possibility of reforming the current student finance model, with the possibility of re-introducing previously-popular policies, such as means-tested fees and maintenance grants.

Afzal Khan, currently an MEP, will stand for Labour at the Gorton by-election [Photo: Wikimedia Commons]

Interview: Afzal Khan comments on Safety in Fallowfield

Written by Lucinda Obank on . Posted in Features.

Following the recent spike in crimes over Fallowfield, students are now demanding change. Many see no improvement in safety as the regularly updated Fallowfield Students Group is still flooded with stories of muggings, attacks, break-ins, verbal abuse, and stalkings.

Earlier this month, Louis O’Halloran urged students to contact both local MP Afzal Khan and their MPs from home. He created a template for other students to use with the intention to illustrate the widespread prevalence of crime that still exists. Hopefully, the increased pressure on MPs, as a result, will start to trigger action that is much overdue.

Personally, I was interested in what Afzal Khan had to say himself as MP for Manchester Gorton constituency. I arranged a telephone interview to speak with him directly.

Firstly, I asked his opinion on whether he thought Louis’ approach was a good one. Khan congratulated Louis on taking initiative to contact MPs as their job is to serve the communities in which they lead. He later commented that many students have got in touch, whether this is a direct result of Louis or because of their own experiences is uncertain, but “there is clearly a problem.”

Khan said he welcomed any support on offer to help improve safety in Fallowfield but claims that ultimately there needs to be sufficient resources available for the professionals.

He attributes eight years of austerity policies which have seen police departments cut in numbers the reason for high levels of crime: “This has increased the pressure on the police and strained resources.”

I then asked his opinion of the Night Owl Scheme which emerged out of the petition last October. Khan commented the petition was “impressive” in terms of volume and demonstrated the needs of students in Fallowfield.

However, although the Night Owl Scheme is yet to launch Khan expressed mixed opinions of it. “Any support people can give is welcome, [however, the] safety of Night Owls is a concern.”

When asked what students can do themselves to help he advised that keeping in groups and staying alert is key. Remaining vigilant at all times on the streets as the theft of mobile phones by thieves on bicycles has increased.

I then asked what he is doing to help as our MP because students have felt unsafe for a long time. He emphasised the importance of working collaboratively with students, the university, police, and the council to be most effective. Khan seemed keen to point out that, “students are our future.” He plans to meet students themselves and talk to them about their issues. Apart from this, he didn’t mention any other steps or plans for the future which was disappointing.

I finished the conversation by informing him of some of the ideas students have suggested themselves. This included improving street lighting, improving student-police relationships — as many feel neglected when crimes are just logged on to a system with no follow-up — and increasing police presence on our streets. Khan agreed with all of these contributions, but only time will tell if any of these will be implemented.

The marvel of the real Black Panthers

Written by Mohsin Uppal on . Posted in Opinion.

Possibly what is already the blockbuster of the year is out: Marvel’s Black Panther. It’s a film chronicling comic book hero Black Panther, also known as T’Challa, King of Wakanda.

Black Panther was the first black superhero, created by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby in 1966 during the height of the Civil Rights Movement. And as we reach the end of Black History Month, it is T’challa’s namesake this article wishes to address: the Black Panther Party.

The first appearance of Black Panther in Fantastic Four #66 predates the founding of the Black Panther Party by only a few months. However, it is clear that he has been treated better by history over the years than the revolutionary political party of Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale.

The Black Panther Party has been vilified ever since its inception as a result of disinformation operations at the behest of the state. It’s often being touted as a black KKK, or a violent gang. This could not be further from the truth. 52 years after their founding, it’s high time we learnt about the marvel of the real Black Panthers.

The party was founded in Oakland, California by Huey P. Newton and Bobby Seale in 1966, as the Black Panther Party for Self-defence.

Although California was not a Jim Crow state such as Alabama or Mississippi, the problems African-Americans faced there were just as real. Often black people found themselves to be living in the poorest neighbourhoods with the least government support and the most crime.

Tensions between the urban African-American populations and police in cities such as Compton, Harlem, and Detroit were high, as a number of high profile police shootings of unarmed black men raised public consciousness. Just 16 out of the 661 police officers in Oakland were black, which exacerbated this divide.

Newton and Seale were both former students of Merritt College, and had studied the works of influential black figures such as Malcolm X and Stokely Carmichael.

They saw the teachings of figures like these and wanted to create a way for urban African-Americans to defend themselves in the wake of police brutality, and to organise their own communities in the wake of government neglect.

They drew upon far-left socialist and Marxist theory and combined that with black power thought to develop a 10-point plan in which they called for an end to police brutality, adequate housing for all, black pride, black participation in politics, and (famously) calling for black people to arm themselves in the face of oppression from the police, the KKK, and other white supremacist groups.

Some of their most remarkable work was their Community Survival Programmes in which they provided free breakfasts to school children, free adult education, free clothing, healthcare, transport, and self-defence classes, amongst a myriad of other social programmes. The Panthers were stepping in where the government had consistently failed black people.

Unfortunately, however, not everyone was comfortable with black people exercising their second amendment rights in the same way a white person could. Ronald Reagan, then governor of California, passed the Mulford Act of 1967, banning open carry in California in response to the Black Panthers.

Yes, you heard that right, a Republican hero enacting gun control – all because those who had the guns were black and wanted to defend themselves, just as anyone of any other race would. But the organised disruption of the Black Panthers by the establishment did not end here.

The most consequential was the FBI’s COINTELPRO operation, a covert, and often illegal operation designed to discredit and dismantle the Black Panthers. The operation sought to, in their own words, “expose, disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralise the activities of the Black nationalists.”

One of the most shocking incidents were the deaths of Fred Hampton and Mark Clark, who were asleep in their apartment when they were killed by Chicago police officers.

The police claimed that it was a heavy gun battle in which more than a hundred rounds were fired. Later inquests indicated that only one of these bullets were fired from the side of Hampton and Clark, and that the FBI had a significant role in leading up to the raid.

The COINTELPRO operation is where many of the myths surrounding the Black Panthers came from. They were not a hate group, and although they had revolutionary ideas, the closest they came to a revolution was to give school children free food.

They were a reaction to the oppression of African-Americans at the hands of an institutionally racist state, and sought only to uplift the downtrodden in society and to build up their own forgotten communities. The price they paid for this was vilification. In 1982, after years of disparagement, the party finally disbanded.

They were not perfect by any means, but as black people all over the globe rejoice as the first black superhero film tops the box office, let us not forget the black superheroes of the past.

Photo: Joanna Higson

Review: On the Outskirts of a Large Event

Written by Grace Johnstone on . Posted in Theatre.

Long strips of material hang down from the ceiling of HOME’s studio theatre and a circular sand pit fills the centre of the stage. As the audience come in, Nicola Blackwell, one of the two performers in Joe W’s On the Outskirts of a Large Event collapses onto a chair and twitches occasionally.

We slowly learn that this injured and deformed character is Lucien, and there is an iceberg heading towards him and his island as a result of global warming. Lucien has suffered from complete memory loss, so relies on Rose Gray’s pyjama-clad character to tell him who he is.

It is up for interpretation as to who exactly Gray’s character is. I personally took her to be a projection of Lucien’s mind. Gray informs him that he was once so famous he required a chauffeur who drove a bullet-proof car, which only feeds Lucien’s ego.

The audience is spoon-fed information by Gray, who gives detail about who Lucien was in long, wordy paragraphs. Therefore, in order to understand the play, you had to pay close attention to the chunky text, and I was unfortunately not engaged enough to do so.

Through an extended metaphor, it transpires that Lucien was a politician who thrived off the power and fame that came with his job. He ostracised immigrants — who are referred to as ‘insomniacs’ — while the rest of the population — ‘sleepwalkers’ — let them go screaming into a sort of exile.

Gray’s character helps Lucien to realise the error of his ways, but I did not feel involved enough to care.

It was a technically interesting play, Will Monks’ vivid and colourful projections onto the hanging strips of material combined with the thorough and immersive sound design by Lee Affen helped to locate the piece. However, I perhaps would have liked to see the two performers using the space more rather than statically telling a story as I felt the set, sound, and lights had more to offer.

I can see that the intention of On the Outskirts was to make the audience reflect on world events without directly referencing the migrant crisis. For me, however, the metaphor was a little heavy-handed, and it came to fruition too late on in the play.

Interview: Husky Loops

Written by Jay Plent on . Posted in Music.

Following the release of their new single, Jay Plent cosied up with the Husky Loops lads Danio, Pietro and Tomasso in the elegant bunkbeds of the Deaf Institute’s surprisingly well-furnished backstage area. They talked art, touring with Placebo, music’s trajectory, and exactly who loves Superorganism the most (spoiler: it was a three-way tie).

Your main logo is an incomplete circle; do you ever get any people with OCD telling you how infuriating that is?

D: It’s me!

(All laugh)

D: So he (points at Pietro) made it, and I am infuriated cos I’m so OCD. I think Pietro enjoys annoying me.

P: People consider visual things as stuff that’s meant to be pretty. So if you’re looking at it with an urge to fix it then that’s good really.

Let’s talk about image because there’s a real minimalism to your artwork, your stage attire etc, which doesn’t necessarily reflect how varied and colourful your music is. Was that a deliberate contrast or a purely cosmetic choice?

D: It’s totally connected to the music, to the space of the music, it’s like with what actors do, dress in black. Underlining moments of the show, which is the point.

T: It matches some of the vibes our music expresses…

D: It’s a standard, it doesn’t say something, it’s just there, makes the music appear and the sound be more.

P: Let the content talk first, no distractions from the show. Black is like a canvas.

T: We talked this tour about wearing all white actually.

P: It really depends on the identity of the band. It’s not black with specific details or decorations…

T: …kind of elegant though.

P: We don’t wanna just look like, random. The minimalism is there to add a frame for everything that can happen in our music or visuals. We’re not narrowing it to a specific genre.

In a previous interview, you talk about using samples and bands using backing tracks live, what do you think is a step too far when it comes to using pre-recorded stuff live? What keeps your shows authentic in that regard?

D: I don’t think there’s a right or wrong way to do it — we want to do everything live. In our show now, everything you see and hear is made on stage. There’s a massive risk of fucking up, but that just adds to the show. I hear every mistake, but if I was in the crowd, I’d see something was happening in a different way, and making its own way, which is what live shows are about.

P: One thing we learned early on with the SPD (drum-pad), which is how we play all the samples, is that the possibilities are limitless — it’s too much. You can very quickly alter the sound of a band — bam, there’s an orchestra… you can go into something really fake really quickly. If you narrow the usage of the machine, you get something unique. You need to control the machine not let the machine control you…

D: …Pink Floyd said that in 1971, and I think it hasn’t changed.

You’ve recently released a new single, the excellent ‘When I Come Home.’ It’s a bit of a departure from your more aggressive stuff, and perhaps more sophisticated too, is it a sound you’re going to pursue in future material?

T: It’s one side of what we do. D writes a lot of stuff, different material that goes from harder stuff to more emotional, more intimate stuff. We always try to bring that side into the band. It shows we can work on more intimate stuff.

D: We wanted to show people we can write a pop song, as well.

P: We listened to a lot of RnB and contemporary music this year, and we started trying to make music that’s both in your face and gentle at the same time. Coming from a rock background, we associate intimacy with being slow and quiet, but it doesn’t need to be that way. You can have a fast hi-hat close, in your face, but have it still feeling intimate.

T: Or a massive kick, bass… and it still feels intimate.

P: We discovered we can do many things…

And with so much variety in your music, what do you feel is a common thread connecting it all together? Is it thematic, musical…?

D: Us three really, the process.

P: I think it’s care.

T: Attention to detail yeah…

P: We work on every sound and decision after hours of arguing with each other.

D: The spontaneous nature of this band is definitely what you catch live, but in the studio, we’re much more precise, more about the craft.

You’ve played alongside The Kills, Spoon, Placebo, and many others. Are there any tricks you’ve picked up from watching/touring/partying with them?

T: You learn something with everyone you tour with really. Alison (Mosshart, The Kills) has got an amazing stage presence.

P: It’s not just the way she looks or moves, it’s the way she owns the stage, all eyes are on her.

T: Spoon is an incredible band, and just the nicest guys to tour with. Placebo were just a lesson in touring huge. They’re huge.

P: Having a massive team taking care of the show is crazy too.

D: It was awesome on Placebo’s tour, but then it came to our own tour, like, we got used to the stuff like hearing everything on your monitors, having your own engineer…

P: If you’re not a touring musician you don’t realise that the people hear something different to what you hear on stage. On a big tour you have a dedicated sound tech, and it’s the perfect way to make you feel comfortable. Compare that to playing in a small pub with a sound engineer who can’t be bothered…

T: I love it though, I think I prefer the pub! It makes you feel much closer to reality.

D: It was great to do both things though, going up and down. With Superfood we had like, a gig in a small pub in Nottingham, then played a 3,000-seat arena the next day.

With Husky Loops, there’s a great blend of genres in your writing. There are always rumblings in the media about the relevancy of guitar music in modern music. What do you think is gonna keep guitar music and your own music enticing and relevant?

D: What we consider rock music is definitely dead. It’s a matter of timeless songs. Like, I think Rachmaninoff No.3 is one of the most contemporary things you can hear today, because the way the music describes life is gonna stick with everyone for the rest of time.

With bands, they’ve gotta be creating a sound, more than just a ‘band statement.’ The whole basic drums, bass and guitar thing is gone, because nobody can do it anymore because everyone can do it now. Rock music innovated my life, Led Zeppelin and stuff changed my life, I don’t think rock music is doing that now, it’s just repeating.

How do you feel about the rumours of Gibson’s bankruptcy, about that potentially lost historic company?

D: I mean anything shutting down is sad, but I mean it’s just the way that…

P: Don’t justify capitalism man.

(All laugh)

D: Young people, everyone’s got a laptop or phone in their hands, they can make music anytime.

P: I mean look at Kodak a few years ago. Biggest fucking producer of film in the world. A few years later, it’s picked up again, companies restarted. What we define as music has changed. I think a reason for rock music being dead is that the instrumentation of the working classes is different now. If you’re a kid now you have a tablet, a PC, to make music, not instruments.

T: It all goes in cycles, like 20 years ago vinyls got chucked in the bin, and now they’re more popular than ever.

D: Bands have been doing stuff that’s been happening before, and that shouldn’t be the point. If you concentrate on how to communicate what you want to communicate, that’s what’s important. I mean the White Stripes did something different with similar elements.

P: If rock music is meant to be non-conformative, bringing something new to the table, then rock music will stay alive. If it keeps fitting a repetitive template, it will die.

T: All the people we remember from rock music are the ones that did something fresh. I was reading reviews from NME and Melody Maker from 1968 about Beatles albums — some of them are really bad! They hated the albums! The press at any time is always harsher.

Because, to our readers anyway, you’re a newish band, I thought I’d throw a couple of comparisons at you, and you can just throw ‘em right back with what you think, your gut reactions, first up: Death From Above?

D: We’re nothing like that band

T: Good bass player!

A Manchester local, Everything Everything?

D: We’re nothing like that band. I guess you could compare stuff but we’re nothing like ‘em really.

Superorganism?

P: We fucking love Superorganism.

T: Amazing band.

D: Unfortunately, we’re not as good as them. I don’t think we have much in common musically, but I really respect their project, it’s clever on so many levels, so new.

T: (Superorganism) are so good, they’re what pop music needs right now.

P: They’re opening up the internationalism of our generation — pop tracks that are instant classics, and at the same time so relevant. So much respect!

Coldplay? EARLY Coldplay, I should specify…

D: People associate us with Coldplay? Ok. ‘Yellow’ and ‘Fix You’ are incredible songs. But recently… I don’t know Chris (Martin) but I don’t think Chris gives a shit anymore, sorry Chris.

Any surprises in store for tonight?

P: We have a whole new set…

D: Tom’s gonna get naked…

T: You can’t say that in an interview man…(Laughs)

D: I so wish you’d do that…

P: He’s got a massive dick…

D: This is our very Italian sense of humour… (Laughs)

Are there places on the tour you’ve never played, and where are you most excited to play besides Manchester?

T: Glasgow, but also we’re headlining here (Deaf Institute) for the first time.

D: I’ve heard good things about the art school in Glasgow, so we’re excited to play there, but I’d say we’re the same level of excited as we are for everywhere on this tour.

Husky Loops are on tour now. Check them out at your nearest convenience, and listen to their newest single ‘When I Come Home’ on Spotify.

Electric Six at Club Academy. Photo: Callum Lunn

Live review: Electric Six

Written by Callum Lunn on . Posted in Music.

Wednesday 21st February, Club Academy

Say what you will about Electric Six, but they have perseverance. You likely know them as the band that had two hits 15 years ago, with ‘Danger, High Voltage!’ and ‘Gay Bar,’ but to end one’s assessment of the band there would be a disservice.

Last year, Electric Six released You’re Welcome and How Dare You, their 16th and 17th albums respectively, and they are showing no signs of slowing.

Part of Electric Six’s charm is that they don’t really take themselves too seriously. Each member of the band has an alias, with frontman and original member Tyler Spencer adopting the stage name ‘Dick Valentine.’ This definitely showed in the performance; most band members had a wide grin on their face throughout.

Playing an impressive 21 songs, Electric Six opened with ‘Rock and Roll Evacuation’ from 2005’s Señor Smoke, followed by ‘Naked Pictures (of Your Mother)’ from their most well known 2003 debut album, Fire, drumming up a party atmosphere with songs pretty much everyone in the crowd was familiar with.

Clad in suits gaudy enough to rival a stereotypical 80s used-car salesman, the band powered on through the set.

Between songs, Dick worked the crowd with the fluency and grace only a veteran in this industry could pull off. Finger guns, slick spins, and off-microphone talking gave the impression that while Dick was entertaining the crowd, he was also entertaining himself.

Playing both songs from their new album (Valentine alluded to the fact they were being ‘asked’ to do it by their record label) and classics, it was obvious what the crowd was there for.

While their newer songs were met with some dancing, applause, and cheers, when ‘Gay Bar’ came on, the crowd went wild. While I expect Electric Six expected this, it shows that they really can’t shake the songs they are most well-known for.

Finishing the marathon set, the band members all swapped instruments for a cover of The Dean Ween Group’s ‘Show Stopper.’

Electric Six showed they could still ride off the success of their two most famous songs while keeping the gigs fresh, aided by the fact they don’t take themselves too seriously and just want to have a little fun.

7/10

Photo: Imogen Doyle

Live Review: Jessarae

Written by Imogen Doyle on . Posted in Music.

18th February 2018, Deaf Institute

At just 22 years old, this young singer-songwriter has already opened for the likes of Sunset Sons and 5 Seconds of Summer.

This Los Angeles-raised, Canadian-born, London-based artist — who is influenced by Bon Iver, Nick Drake, and Ryan Adams — has just finished touring the UK. With nearly 1.2 million streams for his cover of ‘One Dance’ on Spotify, he’s able to really bring it when recording in a studio, but is this also the case in his live performances?

Upon arrival to the concert, it was hard to ignore the mass of young, excitable fans stood awaiting Jessarae. It’s important to note that this intimate concert was certainly an experience, with the crowd reacting to every song, conversation and pause — the atmosphere in the Deaf Institute was electric throughout both the support act and Jessarae’s set alike.

After both Danny Boyle and The Shades graced the stage, it was Jessarae’s turn to show the crowd what he was made of.

The artist really commanded the stage. However, maybe a little too much in some instances… I love a good stage kick as much as the next person, but at times it appeared as though his vocal performance suffered.

Initially, he seemed to really be focusing on increasing his stage presence — somewhat channelling his inner Mick Jagger — however, thankfully this wasn’t the case throughout.

When he went on to sing some of his slower songs, choosing to simply play his guitar and stand by his mic as opposed to jumping around the stage, that’s when his vocal abilities really shone through. Jessarae was definitely one of those artists who grew into his set.

The song which particularly stood out was ‘Milk and Honey.’ The song which appears to be influenced by the likes of The Lumineers and/or Hozier is one which simply isn’t done justice when listening through headphones.

This song live captivated his young audience and their parents alike. Starting off with a combination of drum and guitars, it effortlessly built up, complementing Jessarae’s strong vocals throughout. This type of song is one where he really seems to thrive — if he was able to make more music like this, he’d surely go from strength to strength.

All in all, as someone who is new to Jessarae’s music I could appreciate his set — more and more so as the evening went on — especially when he played some of his slower songs.

Jessarae is an artist that appears to still have some figuring out to do, but definitely has a lot of potential. It’ll be interesting to see how he comes into himself over these next couple of years.

Also, a special shout-out to The Shades, who were one of Jessarae’s support acts. Their harmonies were bang on — this young boy band successfully captivated the crowd from the get-go — singing a combination of their own songs and covers of those which have previously graced the charts, not dissimilar from a young One Direction.

7/10